Chapter 623: Guest Elder (8000 bonus)

Aaron naturally understood the hidden meaning behind the words and praised the Sanshan Association for their fair and impartial conduct, leaving both host and guest delighted for a time.

After pouring another round of tea, Zhong Wuyou's expression turned serious, and he took two jade boxes from his Storage Bag: "The leader of our Sanshan Association has also heard of your reputation, Fellow Daoist. To celebrate your successful Foundation Establishment, she has specifically ordered this old man to present you with a modest gift!"

"Many thanks to the kind intentions of Hongyu Laozu."

Aaron cupped his hands in the direction of Sanshan Peak before opening the jade boxes.

Inside one of the jade boxes was a white jade boat-shaped Magic Tool.

"This is a High-grade Magical Tool—the White Cloud Shuttle. As you have just advanced, Fellow Daoist, your own Magic Tools must not yet be fully prepared, right?"

Zhong Wuyou introduced it: "This White Cloud Shuttle has astonishing speed and can be of use to you, Fellow Daoist."

Without joining other factions, it is extremely difficult to obtain.

After several rounds of negotiation, Zhong Wuyou could not help but feel a bit frustrated, yet he had also grasped the other party's bottom line: "In that case... would you be willing to take on the position of Guest Elder for our Sanshan Association? As a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder, although you would still have the right to use a Cave Abode, there would be no fixed Spirit Stone stipend each year; you would only receive a sum of Spirit Stones as payment when you are willing to carry out missions."

"Leader!"

There might even be some kind of mandatory missions, which would be very troublesome.

And below the pavilion, it faced a deep pool wreathed in white mist.

'It is foreseeable that... in the future, the Sanshan Association will inevitably use Second-tier resources to tempt me into risking my life for them... Fortunately, a Guest Elder still has the right to choose; this is just a transaction, after all.'

Zhong Wuyou smiled and said: "Here is an Artifact Refining Inheritance... it is very old, and can be traced back to the 'Refining Fire Furnace' of Dongmen Market. Although it is only First-tier, it is quite valuable... The leader's gift shows how much she values you!"

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it is indeed very difficult to cultivate without the support of a major faction.

However, the Sanshan Association does not lose out on this deal either; at the very least, they have gained a Foundation Establishment cultivator, making their strength a bit more formidable.

All they have to pay is the right to use one Cave Abode.

From the deep pool, huge whirlpools would form from time to time, swallowing the Spirit Food completely as if a dragon were drawing water.

Inside a magnificent palace, a female cultivator in red was sitting sideways on the window of a pavilion, casually tossing some Spirit Food.

But Aaron just dragged his feet and would not agree.

Watching this scene, Zhong Wuyou sighed inwardly: 'The Black Blood Sect is a fierce tiger... but the Qingding Sect is a vicious wolf as well... We loose cultivators should remain neutral, play both sides, and even unite the weak against the strong; that is the way to protect ourselves...'

Becoming a Guest Elder was also a matter of necessity.

"He seems to still have some wariness, but being able to successfully reach Foundation Establishment as a Qi Refining loose cultivator, that is normal... It would be strange if he didn't."

'However... the Refining Fire Furnace? That shop is indeed quite famous. Although they can only craft middle and low-grade Magic Tools, they are all high-quality items... It is said to be a family inheritance that later declined, with the techniques falling into the hands of others.'

Furthermore, as the friendship deepens in the future, or when missions arise, they can completely use Spirit Stones or favors to invite Aaron to take action.

In reality, in Zhong Wuyou's heart, Aaron had the temperament of a tortoise.

In his view, this First-tier Artifact Refining Inheritance was worth even more than a High-grade Magical Tool!

"I have already noted the leader's good intentions."

Seeing Aaron pick up the Jade Slip, a look of joy appeared on Zhong Wuyou's face: "May I ask, Fellow Daoist, since you are a loose cultivator, what are your plans for the future? You must know that for us Foundation Establishment cultivators, the demand for Spirit Veins is even greater... and within our Sanshan Association, there are several other Foundation Establishment fellow daoists who hold regular discussions on the Taoism to share experiences and exchange what one has for what one lacks..."

Aaron smiled and agreed.

'When someone offers a gift, they must want something in return. For a true celebration of Foundation Establishment, a single High-grade Magical Tool would have been enough.'

He just wanted to mooch off a Cave Abode for cultivation; he didn't care much about the rest and didn't want to rack his brains over anything.

Miao Hongyu turned around, her delicate face expressionless: "What do you think of this person?"

He had a disguise at this time, so he had no resistance to joining a faction.

"Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist. The upper echelons of our Sanshan Association are all Foundation Establishment cultivators of the same realm; we would never force you to carry out any missions... Furthermore, we all started as loose cultivators, so we naturally know that loose cultivators dislike being constrained."

"It seems you have been searching for Artifact Refining and Alchemy Inheritances?"

"His background is clean, and he seems to be a cultivator dedicated to hard work, but his combat ability is a major question!" Zhong Wuyou spoke the truth: "This person has been in Sanshan Market for decades, relying on Talisman Making to accumulate Spirit Stones without going out to take risks. Although his personality is steady, his combat ability should be worrying... However, his Talisman Making skills are not bad; he should be a decent First-tier Talisman Master. If he is cultivated in the future, he might be able to become a Second-tier Talisman Master?"

"To tell you the truth, I have long admired the Sanshan Association, but... I am a person dedicated to hard work and truly cannot stand being disturbed by trivial matters."

Aaron picked up the Jade Slip, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart; indeed, as long as one becomes strong, the things one previously could not obtain will be offered to one's doorstep.

Not to mention necessities like Spirit Veins, even Second-tier spells, such as the 'Soul Searching Technique' that is a hallmark of Foundation Establishment cultivators, cannot be bought on the market at all.

It is just that when joining other organizations and enjoying the benefits, there will inevitably be responsibilities.

"The Demon Dao of Wu Country will not give up on destroying us... This Fellow Daoist Fang must be observed carefully; listen to his words and watch his actions. Second-tier inheritances are precious and cannot be easily bestowed..."

When Miao Hongyu mentioned the Demon Dao of Wu Country, a bone-deep hatred flashed in her beautiful eyes.

"That is exactly what I wished for, I dared not ask for it."

Aaron put on a look of being in a difficult position.

After seeing Zhong Wuyou off, Aaron sighed again.

Aaron nodded and opened the second small jade box, discovering a crimson Jade Slip inside.

Zhong Wuyou shouted in his heart that there was a chance, repeatedly urging Aaron to serve as an Elder of the Sanshan Association and beginning to talk at length about the benefits, such as the freedom to choose a Cave Abode in the Spirit Qi-rich area of Sanshan Peak, and a large annual stipend of Spirit Stones.

Zhong Wuyou left Aaron's Cave Abode and flew all the way to the top of Sanshan Peak.

Zhong Wuyou came behind Miao Hongyu and bowed respectfully: "That person has agreed to our recruitment, but he is only willing to take the position of Guest Elder."

She and the Black Blood Sect were undoubtedly irreconcilable.

'The leader is fine in all other respects, but she is not very calm when she encounters the Black Blood Sect. Alas, there is nothing to be done about that; it is said that back then, the leader almost lost her life under the Black Sun Demon Fire right here in Dongmen Valley... If not for an elder who saved her at the cost of their own life, there would be no Hongyu Laozu today.'

Unfortunately, in the Immortal Cultivation World, those with the greatest strength always hold the power of speech. He was not qualified to instruct Miao Hongyu on what to do and could only sigh silently in his heart.

(End of chapter)